Engineer - Resins

Overview

At Niagara, we’re looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water. Consider applying here if you want to work in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment with a chance to make an impact, develop lasting relationships with great people, and have the opportunity to build a satisfying career.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members.

The Engineer I will support resin-related projects with a focus on qualification and validation of virgin PET (vPET), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), and recycled PET (rPET) materials. This role applies standard engineering techniques to design, analyze, test, and improve packaging components and systems. The Engineer I will collaborate with internal teams and external suppliers to ensure resin performance meets Niagara’s quality, safety, and efficiency standards.

• Conduct qualification trials for new resins (vPET, HDPE, rPET) and suppliers to ensure compliance with specifications and performance requirements.
• Develop and maintain resin-related packaging specifications, test methods, and SOPs.
• Perform material validations for new products and production lines, ensuring capability and conformance.
• Analyze resin properties (e.g., IV, crystallinity, melt flow) and assess impact on bottle performance and line efficiency.
• Provide technical support during plant trials and collaborate with operations to optimize resin usage.
• Audit production lines to identify opportunities for improvement in resin handling, drying processes, and application.
• Prepare detailed reports and presentations summarizing trial results, recommendations, and next steps.
• Travel up to 50% to conduct on-site resin trials and audits at Niagara plants.

• Minimum Qualifications:
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Basic knowledge of polymer science and resin processing
• 0+ years of experience in packaging, resin development, or injection/blow molding environments
• Experience may include a combination of work experience and education
• Preferred Qualifications:
• 2+ years of experience in packaging, resin development, or injection/blow molding environments
• Familiarity with PET and HDPE resin properties, drying systems, and colorant integration
• Experience with rPET implementation and sustainability initiatives
• Experience may include a combination of work experience and education

• Resin
  
  Qualification:
  
  Execute trials for vPET, HDPE, and rPET to validate performance and supplier capability.
• Process Optimization:
  Support improvements in drying, dosing, and blending processes for resin applications.
• Sustainability:
  Assist in rPET integration projects to meet environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to work under direct supervision while handling basic technical issues.
• Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook).

This position embodies the values of Niagara’s LIFE competency model, focusing on the following key drivers of success:

• Lead Like an Owner
  • Makes safety the number one priority
  • Keeps alert for safety issues and escalates immediately
  • Effectively prioritizes tasks based on department goals
  • Shows respect to others and confronts interpersonal issues directly
  • Prioritizes resolution of customer issues effectively
  • Responds promptly and honors commitments to internal and external customers
• InnovACT
  • Makes recommendations to continuously improve policies, methods, procedures, and/or products
  • Demonstrates adaptability by reacting appropriately to unexpected changes in situations or circumstances
  • Increases performance through greater efficiency
• Find a Way
  • Seeks to develop technical knowledge through learning from other experts
  • Understands interdepartmental impact of individual decisions and actions
  • Seeks solutions rather than placing blame
• Empowered to be Great
  • Consistently looks for ways to improve one’s self through growth and development opportunities
  • Communicates clearly and promptly up, down, and across
  • Comm…